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If you have an older dog in training, or belong to a training group, take your pup to training sessions. This is good socialization and introduction to the training regime. At the end of the session shorten up the marks, hold your 3-5 month old pup up in front of your kneeling figure, have the gunner make some noise, shoot and throw. Depending on the dog's talent you may need to keep the marks very short and simple, but I have seen real good marking dogs run 200 yard plus singles at four months old. Play it by ear.

John

I do this but I also have the pup sit in my lap watch all the marks, and learn not all marks are his, learn to be quite, calm, and focused. Once they relax, they get to try their hand at those big dog marks, and usually remember where they're at. Then it's back in the lap, for more quite, calm and focus; then back in the truck, after they relax. Introductory line manners (while they're still small enough that you don't have to wrestle them )

Last edited by Hunt'EmUp; 12-16-2013 at 12:52 PM.

"They's Just DAWGS"; "I train dogs, Not papers"
"Hunting is a skill to be learned whether you do it early or late it still needs to be learned"

I love raising puppies; it's rewarding because they learn so fast. Over the years, I've picked up some things I do with litters that seem to help the pup get off to a good start. I do the ENS, not sure if it helps (or how you'd tell!) but more as part of weighing/handling them the first 2 weeks. I imprint them to come to the whistle as soon as they can hear, about when the eyes open. Instead of banging on the whelping box to call them over, I whistle and they come tumbling over as soon as they can hear. I also use the whistle to announce their dam returning to the box (by then she's not staying with them 24/7) and later, with meals when they're on solid food. By the time I take them outside and start on walks, they know to come to the whistle because they still don't see well past 10'. It's really fun with a big litter to have them come flying and people love it when they get their new pups.

The other fun thing I do is put tabs on them at about 5 weeks, and they leash break each other. Great entertainment watching them drag each other around, and they learn to give in to neck pressure and not to scream and pitch a hissy fit or the whole litter will pile on. By the time they leave, they'll walk on a lead with no back flips or leash rodeos.

My pups also have a good start on crate training and house breaking. I put a crate in their pen as soon as they're up and walking around, and start shutting them in it for 10 or 15 minutes while I clean their pen. As they get older, I'll leave them shut in the crates for longer periods and also start taking them on truck rides in crates. Introducing crate confinement is much easier when they're together, or even in pairs/3s if it's a larger litter, and they get a start on house breaking learning to "hold it". I've had entire litters sleep through the night in their crates by 6 weeks (they're not shut in it; the door is left open). As long as I get up first and get them outside as soon as they wake up. It helps that the puppy pen is right next to the outside door!

I tell people when they get their pups, that they'll unlearn that imprinted recall as fast as they learned it if it's not practiced several times a day. You can overdo the retrieving but you can never overdo the recalls. The first week or two at home with a new baby puppy is the best time to convince it the human is the center of its universe, and how much fun it is to learn new stuff. I think it sets the stage for a pup that loves to learn its entire life.

love the exploring idea but I would so rather you not start shaping behavior before I get my puppy... just me but I want to do that stuff myself

I don't really think you have to worry about Shawn breaking the puppy. It Would be unrealistic to expect a breeder to put a puppy in a padded room so that you can start doing whatever you want with him at seven weeks. Any Exposure a puppy gets is just beneficial. Let's be realistic. I would be thanking Shawn for any extra stimulation puppies get beyond the norm. Which it sounds like that is what Shawn is doing.

I don't really think you have to worry about Shawn breaking the puppy. It Would be unrealistic to expect a breeder to put a puppy in a padded room so that you can start doing whatever you want with him at seven weeks. Any Exposure a puppy gets is just beneficial. Let's be realistic. I would be thanking Shawn for any extra stimulation puppies get beyond the norm. Which it sounds like that is what Shawn is doing.

I definitely agree with this. Any positive stimulation is a good thing. It's not like he's stick fetching them.

I have learned I need these dogs much more than they need me. Tim Bockmon

I don't really think you have to worry about Shawn breaking the puppy. It Would be unrealistic to expect a breeder to put a puppy in a padded room so that you can start doing whatever you want with him at seven weeks. Any Exposure a puppy gets is just beneficial. Let's be realistic. I would be thanking Shawn for any extra stimulation puppies get beyond the norm. Which it sounds like that is what Shawn is doing.

I"m not buying a pup from Shawn, Susan

I'll admit posting that to get things going with the (obviously excellent) breeders on here. I don't think necessarily anyone would screw up a 6 week old puppy teaching it to sit.